Cornerstone Health Care has announced a partnership with FastMed Urgent Care, the largest network of urgent care centers in North Carolina, in a move designed to increase referrals between the two and expand access for Cornerstone patients.

Under the partnership, the details of which are still being worked out, Cornerstone will promote the use of FastMed Urgent Care centers to its patients, while Clayton-based FastMed will help refer patients seeking a primary care physician or a specialist to Cornerstone providers.

Critical to that will be increased communication between the two groups, including the ability to share patient information between their electronic medical records systems.

The Business Journal of the Triad first reported in October that High Point-based Cornerstone and FastMed were moving toward a partnership.

Reuel Heyden, senior director of marketing and community relations for FastMed, said those patients at FastMed looking to connect with a primary-care physician will have the right to choose, but that the goal will be to make them aware of what Cornerstone has to offer.

"This affiliation agreement is an opportunity to educate patients, both on the Cornerstone side and the FastMed side," Heyden said. "Of course we're not going to put any pressure on the patient. It's ultimately their choice."

Dr. Michael Ogen, chief clinical integration officer for Cornerstone, said FastMed had been looking for a partner that could provide continuing and follow-up care to their patients, and Cornerstone was a good fit.

"They wanted access and very quick access to a primary care base and a specialty base," Ogden said.

The formal partnership followed a pilot to see how the two could work together, and now the two are working to have "more streamlined connectivity, Ogden said.

FastMed has 38 urgent-care centers in the state, including seven in the Charlotte area, and the two providers overlap in four markets — Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville and High Point. FastMed is also planning a new center in Hickory, where Cornerstone has practices, as well as its third center in Winston-Salem.

Along with those in North Carolina, FastMed has centers in Arizona and has been working on affiliations with physician groups there as well, Heyden said.

Likewise, many physician practices are expanding their hours to improve access to patients, Cornerstone included.

"In some of our markets, we do have after-hours coverage, but we don't have it in all of our markets," Ogden said. "It's certainly more convenient and less expensive alternative to the emergency department."

At the same time, health systems are investing in urgent-care centers, such as Winston-Salem-based Novant Health, which continues to build its PrimeCare network of centers.

While urgent-care centers have often operated outside the mainstream health-care delivery system, affiliations such as these and greater involvement from hospitals and physician groups attest to their continued integration.